After publicly hanging two muggers, Iran has released photos of an apparent finger-chopping machine used for punishing criminals

The four images show a convicted robber and adulterer losing a finger before he is sentenced to 99 lashes and three years in prison. But he shows no sign of pain during the terrifying ordeal — perhaps because he has been drugged. Mahmoud Amiry-Moghaddam, a spokesperson for Iran Human Rights in Norway, says that the machine is a new attempt to quell political protest. "Every time we get closer to an election, the number of these incidents increases," says Amiry-Moghaddam. "And we’re getting quite close to the presidential election [slated for June 2013]. I believe this is a strategy to instill fear in the population so as to avoid any protests."